NAMES & FACES

A Cutting-Edge Artist

Two-thirds of Crosby, Stills and Nash were guests of honor at a donation ceremony yesterday in the National Museum of Natural History that had nothing to do with music. Huh?

Graham Nash, it turns out, was a pioneer in the field of digital imaging and printing and even founded a Manhattan Beach, Calif., printmaking studio in 1990. Who knew? The 63-year-old musician donated the world's first digital printer used solely for fine art photography and a few digitally produced images.

"I've been taking pictures since I was 10 years old," said Nash. "I've been making images longer than I've been making music."

Band mate David Crosby , whose photo was one of those donated, came along for the ride. "When he heard that his picture was in the bunch he said, 'I want to go!' " said Nash.

Smithsonian spokeswoman Valeska Hilbig said the event was a success, but no singing took part during the ceremony. Darn!

The trio is slated to play a sold-out concert at Wolf Trap tonight.

Pulling Off an Honest Portrayal

Owwww! A prominent scene in the upcoming comedy "The 40-Year-Old Virgin" displays star Steve Carell 'sdedication to his art -- or at least to grooming.

The 41-year-old actor had his chest hair waxed -- for real -- on camera for the flick. His reason? Director Judd Apatow said Carell called him one day and said, "I was thinking that chest waxing is only funny if you do it for real and it really hurts. . . . The audience will laugh if they can tell I'm actually in pain."

Carell plays a lonely, nerdy man whose friends push him to lose his virginity. He tries speed-dating, bar-hopping and, you guessed it, chest-waxing to try to seal the deal.

Carell said, "About five seconds before they started tearing, I thought it might have really been a mistake." No kidding.

Social Security Party Poopers

Social Security turns 70 tomorrow and a Washington-based advocacy group is sending around a rather dismal e-card to "celebrate."

The greeting features a cheery-looking birthday cake while an animated series of stats about Social Security scroll below. All the pieces of the pastry are removed until nearly nothing is left. The text reads, "Without reform, what will it provide for our children? Crumbs. Let's do better than that." We can't say it's the most uplifting birthday card we've seen.

Hannah Siemers of the Coalition for the Modernization and Protection of America's Social Security says she doesn't see the card as such a bummer: "I don't think it's depressing for a birthday card. The point is to celebrate the institution." She added, "We hope to raise awareness for the need to reform."

End Notes

· A trial in Van Halen's $2 million lawsuit against the Baltimore Orioles is "imminent," according to a lawyer for the band. Last week U.S. District Court Judge William Matthew Byrne Jr. denied the team's motion for summary judgment. The band alleges that the Orioles sought to have it perform the first-ever concert at Camden Yards last year and then reneged on the deal.

· In just a few days, Vienna is going to get all shook up. " Elvis Week" will kick off in the Austrian capital on Monday beginning seven days of live music, memorabilia and screenings of the pop icon's films. Organizer Wolfgang Hahn said of the King, "For me, he was the only unique entertainer in the world." The festival overlaps with the 28th anniversary of Elvis Presley's death on Aug. 16, 1977.

-- Compiled by Korin Miller from staff and wire reports